Haunted Mansion
by ArtemisApollo97
Summary: The Seven, Nico and my OC, Louisa, are staying at a 'haunted' mansion for the weekend. It starts off as a joke with false scary stories. But terror lurks around the corner and DAMMIT I'M GOING TO SCARE THE HELL OUTTA THEM! 3:) T/M- some gore and swearing
1. Chapter 1

**Just a little something for Halloween/ I'm bored and don't feel nice enough to update twice on Alvie's story.**

* * *

"OK, how long are we here?"

"The weekend, Leo." Piper smirked. "Why? Scared?" She teased.

"Fwightened." Leo said childishly, widening his eyes and sticking his bottom lip out, obviously looking for pity. Piper just rolled her eyes, tugging her jacket around her. It was a cold autumn night, fog twisting around the leafless, skeletal trees and dark, slippery sloping hills.

"It's not that bad." Piper said to the group. She glanced over her shoulder at Louisa. "Right, Lou?"

"I think a statue of me would go nicely there." She paused. "'N' there." Louisa studied the landscape for a few seconds, tilting her head to the side.

"You gonna paint it?" Jason asked, smiling.

"I will try. Me 'n' fog don't get on that well." She turned and opened the car, retrieving her rucksack. "Well, I ain't standin' out here all day." She marched defiantly towards the wrought, iron gates. Ivy and rust twisted around the bars and the chain was practically rust, easy enough to break with a branch.

She started up the winding path, leaving everyone else to scramble for their packs and rush after her.

Unnerving Frank, Leo started making fiery shapes in his hands. First of all, he started off with the usual cats and dogs, but then progressed into fiery demons that cast wicked shadows across his elfish features, making his crazy smile seem demonic.

"Will you _stop that_?" Hazel hissed.

"Hey, I'm providing heat, light and entertainment." Leo paused. "I'm _that_ good." He said with as much sass as he could muster.

"Keep walking, Valdez." Frank grumbled, edging away from him and his wretched fire.

The walked, bickering playfully and attempting to scare each other, for another fifteen minutes. Or, in demigod/ADHD terms- _**HOURS**_.

Louisa reached the front porch first, studying the huge dark wood door carved with intricate patterns and boasting a lion head knocker.

"Wait!" Leo cried. He grabbed Louisa by the arm and pulled her back down the steps, not noticing her glare while he hopped about the porch.

"What _are _you doing?" Percy laughed.

"Trap door." Leo said, looking up innocently. "You know, ring the doorbell or whatever and there's a trap door that-"

"Leo, you watch _way_ too many films." Jason ruffled Leo's hair as he walked past and tried the handle. "Locked." He frowned.

"Can I burn it down?"

"No." Louisa shoved Leo in return before barging her cousin and kicking the door down a little too easily.

The chilling wind brushed up dust clouds. Hazel sneezed.

"Gesundheit." Nico smiled.

"Thanks." Leo whistled sharply, making them all jump. About six Leo's whistled back.

It was a typical haunted house, with an open plan entry hall with two staircases either side curving up to the next floor. At the base of the staircase, in the adjoining wall, were cracked bits of wood where doors had once stood, but the rooms they partially barricaded were dark and gloomy.

"I call dibs on the big room." Percy smirked.

"Dammit, Percy." Nico punched his cousin's arm playfully.

A burst of light made Hazel squeal, but she blushed when she saw it was Louisa with a flashlight.

"Let's go tourin'." She smiled, holding the torch under her chin.

* * *

The house itself had about four stories, not including the basement and attic that they dared not go in to. Well, Louisa wanted to, but they had decided to stay in a group as Leo was adamant that there was a 'ghostie' following him.

They found a living room on the second floor, all the furniture covered with grey, musty sheets and a few inches of dust crunching under their feet. Leo found an old fireplace filled with cobwebs. He retrieved a few sheets, disturbing rats and spiders – Annabeth was ready to kill him – but they sheets were flammable and made great fodder for the fire. Frank and Jason were sent out to find some more stuff to burn while Percy dispatched of all the spiders – by dropping them in the fire. Hazel and Piper were attempting to clean the floor while Louisa watched, amused. Nico was standing in the corner with his ears covered as the loud buzzing of quite a few fiery deaths for spiders started a headache.

"Lou, don't be mean." Annabeth scolded lightly. "Use a hurricane and put all the dust in the corner or something."

"I don't do cleanin'. That's peasant's work."

"Louisa…" Annabeth warned, folding her arms. Louisa grumbled, waving her hands and sending two miniature hurricanes dancing over the floor, gathering the dust and scooping it all up to dump in the corner. "Thank you." Annabeth said smugly. Louisa pulled a face at her and then the girls set to work setting up camp for the night.

Jason and Frank returned with their arms full of chunks of wood and bits of paper. They set that in a big pile next to the fire. Leo poked through it all, grinning broadly.

Nothing exciting or paranormal happened, other than Leo attempting to tell ghostly stories with a flash light under his chin. Louisa yawned pointedly, snatching her own flashlight up. She took over with the scary stories, but scary was also gory and horrific:

"…The mist on the moor was thick 'n' dense, but the senile demigod saw the headless figure stagger up the slippery hill. The two seemed ta hold each other's gaze, the elderly demigod's eyes glued to a mysterious bulk under the figure's arm. It was too much for his fragile mind 'n' heart 'n' he instantly back tracked down the slope, forgetful of the traps." There was a sharp intake of breath, Hazel and Piper looking pale. "Cannons exploded in multiple shots, the fire 'n' the demigod's bloodcurdlin' screams echoed eerily around the valley. The blood soaked the hill, the demigod's insides drippin' 'n' splattered across the grass, his last meal visible from his shredded stomach. The headless figure loomed over the man's unrecognisable head, which was now a pair of damaged eyes, ringed by broken teeth 'n' layers of flesh, skin 'n' brain." Hazel was starting to feel sick. "The headless figure collected the fleshy remains 'n' loaded them inta the main canon, firin' them over the valley, raining flesh, skull 'n' brain on unsuspecting 'n' innocent villagers."

"OK, enough!" Hazel protested.

"I was finished anyway." Louisa smirked evilly. Hazel started chewing her lip, feeling a lump in her throat as bile rose. "Night guys."

* * *

**That's all I've got for tonight. Hopefully I can update again tomorrow. The scary story from Lou is taken from one of my old stories that's mine, except it says 'mutant' instead of 'demigod'. **


	2. Chapter 2

Leo was having a weird dream where giant marshmallows bounced after him, their cheery voices calling 'Eat us, Leo! Yummy marshmallows!' He was woken up abruptly by shrill screaming.

Annabeth was hastily backing away, crawling along the floor backwards and screaming for Percy to kill the spider scuttling towards her, over her discarded sleeping bag.

The only problem- the spider was the size of a dinner plate.

"Percy!" Annabeth screamed. Percy pulled himself together, uncapping Riptide and prodding experimentally at the spider and it spun to face him.

Nico sat up, looking groggy, but wary. He snapped his fingers and the spider let loose a dying screech, keeling over. Its legs twitched in the air. Frank got up and gave it a hefty kick, sending it soaring into the mantelpiece. Leo instantly set it on fire.

Percy capped Riptide and slipped the pen into his pocket, moving forward to comfort Annabeth. She was shakily looking around for more giant spiders, but the shadows were so dense outside of the ring of light cast by the fire.

"Where's Jason?" Piper asked, glancing around worriedly.

"And Hazel." Frank added. Leo did a quick head count and realised Louisa was missing as well.

Percy was holding Annabeth in his arms while she calmed down, but he was looking around too.

Leo sent a few fireballs into the shadows to provide light, but they only saw the dismal furnishings of the gloomy room.

A few minutes later, they set out on a search party, taking their stuff with them. Percy was holding Annabeth's hand, who was throwing nervous glances around. Leo walked at the front, his hands on fire. Nico, Percy and the girls were in the middle while Frank bought up the rear.

They checked every room they passed, shouting for their friends and running up and down flights of stairs.

* * *

An hour later, they had found nothing and no-one. They sat on the stairs up to the third floor, munching on breakfast bars and attempting to come up with a plan. Annabeth was quiet, studying her breakfast bar as if it were a deadly weapon. (In her hands, it could be).

Leo was tinkering with scrap parts from his tool belt, when a chill ran over his shoulders and twisting down his spine. A low moan caught his attention.

Looking up, he saw no-one else looking around curiously, indicating that they hadn't heard what he had.

Another groan followed, louder this time. Leo glanced over his shoulder, up at the third floor landing, pausing in his tinkering to focus all his attention on wherever the sound was coming from and to determine what it was.

A door slammed on the landing above them, followed by an ear-splitting, inhuman shriek. They were on their feet almost immediately, swinging their packs onto their shoulders.

Frank sprinted up the stairs first, Nico behind him. Both of them were calling for Hazel. Piper was close behind them, screaming for Jason while the other three caught up to shout for Louisa.

"_Silence_!" A voice shrieked. They glanced down the corridor, seeing two glowing scarlet orbs glaring back.

"Wh-?" Leo started, but was cut off by the orbs surging forward. Something sickly white burst out of the shadows and slammed through their group in a blur, scattering them and bringing an icy chill and leaving their ears ringing from that unearthly cry.

Nico raised his hand as the white blur swooped and dived at them again. He swiped it as it passed overhead and its dying wail sent icy tendrils over his skin, but it had vanished. In its disappearance, there was a lingering chill in the air that stunk of rotting meat and blood.

"OK, we split up and look for the others." He said, turning back to his friends. They were all staring at him, gobsmacked. "What?"

"Karate chopping ghosts." Leo mumbled.

"Ghost king." Percy added just as quietly. Nico smiled at them, a cold glitter in his eyes.

"Anyway- Leo and Piper, look for Jason. Annabeth and Percy, look for Lou and we'll look for Hazel." Nico gestured at himself and Frank. Frank studied Nico warily- even though his girlfriend was a child of Pluto, she was warm and kind, whereas Nico stood up to his father name, being cold and unfeeling most of the time, often harsh and sarcastic. But this was his sister missing and they all knew he had already lost one sister. He couldn't lose another. "We meet back here in an hour." Nico said firmly.

The group split up, Leo and Piper heading back downstairs while the others went in opposite directions down the hall, all of them calling for their missing friends.

* * *

"Lou!" Percy shouted for the thousandth time. Annabeth mimicked his call, opening a door to yet another room. "Louisa!"

"Percy…" Annabeth squeaked. Percy turned and saw Annabeth had frozen, her shoulders hunched with her hands up as if to protect herself. Her eyes were wide and cross-eyed, focusing on the average-sized house spider dangling from a thin, silvery web, suspended from the ceiling.

Percy knocked the spider to the floor and squashed it underfoot. He turned to check on Annabeth when a startled, stricken yell sliced through the otherwise silent mansion. They shared a look before sprinting down the hall, turning a sharp corner and following the yells.

They skidded to a halt five minutes later outside a door right at the end of the hall. Percy tried the handle, frowning when he saw it was locked. He motioned to Annabeth to stand back as he retreated a step to kick the door open.

The smell of reptiles washed out on a tide of muggy heat and angry hisses. Percy retrieved Riptide and uncapped it, the celestial bronze distributing a faint glow over a floor withering with all different kinds of snakes.

The snakes were all facing and hissing at a struggling figure chained to the wall.

It was Louisa.

She was standing and tugging on the chains around her wrists, trying to rip them from the wall, but she shied away from the snakes, looking pained.

Percy studied his sword for a few seconds, frowning in concentration. Its glow turned sea green and he swiped at the snakes, freezing them in jagged blocks of ice. It was easier to cut a path through to his sister this way.

"Lou?" Louisa looked round and relief washed over her at the sight of her brother. She pulled the chain taut and Percy slashed down, shattering the chain easily.

They started back out the room, Percy freezing any snake that he had missed. They reached the door when Louisa stumbled into Annabeth. In the light from the hall, they could see the dried blood covering the left side of Louisa's face, leaving a reddish-brown crust around a gash under her fringe, near her hairline. Percy gingerly brushed Louisa's hair away from the head wound, but it made her wince. Her hair was sticky and rough from dried blood and there was a bruise forming around the injury. "What happened, Lou?" She seemed dazed and pale, despite her stubborn and defiant fire giving life to her eyes.

"I dunno. I woke up 'bout three this mornin' 'n' had ta get up." She frowned. "It's all fuzzy, but there was this white thing 'n' then I woke up in that room with all those damn snakes."

"We heard you yelling." Annabeth said softly, placing Louisa's arm around her shoulders as she swayed unsteadily on her feet. Louisa grimaced.

"I was only awake for a few minutes 'n' then you two came bargin' in." Louisa glanced round, frowning. "Where are we? 'N' where are the others?"

* * *

**Leaving it there. Hopefully I can update again tomorrow. **

**Does anybody see what I've done? There are two things that I can think of that you lot could guess. If I remember, I'll post them in the next chapter.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Quite a few of you guessed the worst fear bit about the house, but none of you mentioned that the three that were taken were all children of a Big Three god. Point to Art! **

**I HAVE HOUSE OF HADES! *fangirling!***

* * *

Hazel held Frank's lifeline to her chest while flames danced amongst the jewels scattered heavily about the floor. Her back was pressed to the wall and smoke filled her lungs, making her cough and splutter, her eyes watering. The roar of the fire drowned out all noise, but she could see the door directly opposite her. Had she not had Frank's lifeline, she would have run through those flames to escape, but that was not the case.

She started murmuring prayers to every god she could think of and then some. She screamed as the door exploded open with enough force to knock it flat on the floor, ripping its hinges from the wall. Frank backed up hastily while Nico mouthed a curse. Hazel screamed something that was incoherent, even to her, and Nico ran forward, braving the flames. He dodged around the cursed jewels and grabbed her in his arms. Hazel felt tears stream down her cheeks while unconsciousness tugged at her mind.

Her legs gave way and Nico picked her up in his arms, carrying her out. He noticed that she held the bit of wood Frank's life depended on close to her heart in both hands, her head lolling on Nico's shoulder.

The second they were out of the room, the fire died down and the jewels vanished, melting into the floor. The door flew back up and slammed itself back in the doorway, the hinges repairing themselves.

"Hazel?" Frank took her from Nico's arms and tried to wake her up.

"Percy could help her." Nico told him. He led Frank back the way they had come, attempting to use the shadows to locate his friends.

"Thank you." Frank said. Nico stopped and looked back at him. Frank sighed. "If it wasn't for the fire…"

"I understand why you don't get on with Leo that much now."

"He'd be OK if it wasn't for his fire."

"He controls it."

"He spontaneously combusts just for fun."

"He's a nice guy though." Nico turned around and started walking again. On the stairs down to the second floor, they spotted Percy and Annabeth supporting Louisa between them. "Guys!" Nico called, hurrying down the stairs. Percy and Annabeth looked round, Percy relieved. "What happened to Lou?"

"We found her in a room full of snakes." Percy nodded at Hazel. "What happened to Hazel?"

"We found her in a room full of fire and jewels."

"Sounds like you needed me then." They all looked round and saw Leo and Piper coming up the stairs. Leo had his easy grin in place, but by Piper's tight expression, they had no idea where Jason was. "Lou?" Leo's smile faltered and he reached out, putting a hand on Louisa's shoulder.

"Leave a message…" She mumbled, not looking up.

"Something hit her in the head, knocking her out." Percy told them.

"We'll take them back to our room." Annabeth started. "Then you four go after Jason and we'll keep an eye on these two."

"I don't think Frank likes me."

"Shut it, Valdez." Frank growled. Leo pulled a face at him, but was distracted by Louisa spitting blood onto the floor.

"Lou?"

"Fine." She turned her head slightly to address her brother. "Jason… ugh, Jason's in the basement."

"How'd you know?"

"I don't. Just a feelin'." Piper had already turned and ran down the stairs.

"Piper!" They called. Louisa muttered a curse at them. Leo ran after Piper, Nico close behind him. "Piper, you idiot! I do the crazy running off!" Piper jumped the last few steps and darted through the double doors beneath the double staircase. Nico vaulted the banister and raced after her. "Show off…" Leo muttered.

They found Piper tugging helplessly on a door marked with a faded sign reading 'Basement'. Leo pulled her away while Nico busted the door down with badass shadow skills. He led the way down, summoning his Stygian Iron sword. Piper walked in the middle, holding Leo's wrist tightly, looking for reassurance.

The basement was dark, cold and smelt of rotten food, dirty socks and vomit. Leo lit a fire in his hand, the red flames casting flickering shadows over the broken, dusty shelves with old jarred _things_ and boxes of gods-knew-what. Dust clouds swirled up from their steps as they carefully padded along.

They walked for what felt like hours, the basement apparently never-ending, but eventually they found Jason. Someone had put a thick metal collar on him, a chain stretching from the back of it to the wall behind him. He was kneeling and trembling from head to foot, desperately fighting to escape the crystal white strait jacket someone had put him in.

Piper let go of Leo and he twisted his hand, trying to entice feeling back into it. She dropped to her knees and hurriedly started fiddling with the straps on the strait jacket, talking to Jason reassuringly. Nico sliced through the chain and Jason collapsed against Piper, choking and muttering. Piper tore away the last of the jacket and wrapped him in his arms. "It's OK." She breathed, running a hand through his hair. "We've got you now."

* * *

Frank was tending to Hazel when Percy and Annabeth started yelling. He looked up and saw that they had collapsed, their hands covering their ears. He had seen them like this before, minus the yelling- they were fighting Tartarus flashbacks.

Louisa tried to sit up, but her head started swimming, causing a wave of nausea to wash over her. Hazel coughed and rolled onto her side, squinting at the panicked duo.

"Guys, it's OK! You're not there, you're safe!" His words had no effect. Annabeth had started crying while Percy put his head on his knees and gritted his teeth, shaking chronically. "Lou, don't get up."

"Don't give ya orders out." Louisa growled, forcing herself up and shoving the headache and sickness to the back of her mind. She stumbled over to her brother, falling to her knees next to him. She rested a hand on his head and muttered something. Percy suddenly relaxed and fell against his sister, asleep.

"How'd you-?"

"Later." Louisa said through gritted teeth, laying her brother down on his side and forcing her way over to Annabeth. "Oy, Blondie." Louisa closed one hand around Annabeth's wrist and the other gripping Annabeth's chin to make her look at her. Louisa grumbled something and Annabeth inhaled sharply, her eyes rolling back in her head. She, too, fell asleep against Louisa.

Frank moved forward and lifted Annabeth over to lie next to Percy.

"Lou, what did you do?" Hazel asked quietly, her voice hoarse.

"Seventy-eight percent of a human bein' is water." Louisa sighed, massaging her forehead and grimacing. "If ya know what ya doin', ya can put someone ta sleep."

"That's cool. But now I'm scared." Louisa gained a twisted, evil grin. "And that's why." The door creaked open. Nico and Leo stumbled in, Jason supported between them. Piper followed them in, closing the door behind her.

"What happened to those two?"

"Mental breakdown. Put 'em ta sleep."

"How?" Louisa waved it off and lay down herself, closing her eyes. Frank explained for her and they all seemed impressed, but now shared his worries over what Louisa could do to a human being by controlling seventy eight percent of them.

"What's wrong with Jason?" Hazel asked, sitting up on her elbows.

"We found him in the basement, like Lou said, but he was chained to the wall and in a strait jacket." Hazel's lips moved soundlessly. "What?" Piper demanded.

"Confinement." Hazel told her. "Jason never liked small spaces or not being able to move."

"I didn't know that." Piper mumbled. "OK, we take watches now, in pairs or threes." She decided. They all nodded in agreement, except Louisa, who raised her hand in objection.

"I was awake with Hazel 'n' Jason. I left 'n' got jumped." Jason mumbled something.

"Yeah, this thing came in shortly after you left." Hazel translated. "Whatever it was, it knocked Jason out first and then it had a friend to drag him off. I tried to wake the others, but it all went dark and I woke up in that room…" Jason nodded in agreement, now pacing about the room and swinging his arms. He did funny little jumps every now and then and stomped his feet. Louisa threw a knife at him, lodging it into the floor by his foot, complaining at the noise he was making.

"What thing?" Nico asked.

"It was a big shadowy blur with gold eyes that… they were horrible…" Hazel squeaked. Frank sat next to her, placing his arm around her shoulders. She looked comforted by this, but her eyes still held a tremor of unease.

Nico moved to check on his cousin and Annabeth. They were both sound asleep, holding hands. Their expressions were peaceful, as they usually were when they fell asleep together.

"Question." Louisa sat up suddenly, looking groggy. "Even if we are awake, what's that gonna do in case one of those things comes back ta take us off again?"

"I'll stay up." Nico told her.

"Yeah, you 'n' ya karate choppin' ninja action." Nico smiled grimly. She made to say something else, but her eyes widened and she pointed. At first, Leo thought she was pointing at him, but then turned around in time to see the door being ripped from its hinges from the outside. Jason stopped pacing to stare at the figure in the doorway.

"Sup." They grinned.

"Please tell me that's your twin, Leo."

"Um…"

* * *

**Dun dun duh… **

**Sorry it's not much, but I felt like updating on this one and try and get it finished before Halloween, considering I get ideas. **


	4. Chapter 4

**I'VE FINISHED HOUSE OF HADES AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO NOW! I don't really want to read Wuthering Heights or King Lear for school, but I 'have to'… there's so BORING! **

**And Leo's five foot six apparently. I think I'm five foot six-ish. I don't know how tall I am. Is that bad? Hey, how tall are you people, in feet and inches? Let's see who's the shortest and who's the tallest!**

* * *

Leo stared at his counterpart. They were exactly the same, right down to their clothes and nervous energy, always fidgeting. The only difference was the coldness in the other Leo's eyes and smile. The real Leo wanted something amusing and sarcastic to say to try and ease the tension obvious in the air, but his mind was blank other than:

"You're me."

"Give the boy a prize!" His clone said sarcastically, throwing his hands up. "I think there is only room for one Leo Valdez, don't you?" Black smoke curled thickly around Leo's feet, swirling up in deadly, yet artistic forms, displaying shapes of ghouls, beasts and monsters. Somebody was screaming his name, but the smoke obscured his hearing and vision.

When the smoke cleared, he stood alone in a dimly lit workshop. Looking around, his heart started thudding in his chest, coursing panic through his veins.

He was eight years old again, his _madre_ smiling down at him, telling him to wait while she fetched her keys.

_No!_ Leo wanted to scream. His voice didn't work around the lump in his throat, grief and guilt welling in his chest, increasing his panic and despair. His chest tightened and he couldn't breathe.

The shadowy figure of Gaia appeared in front of him; asleep, but smiling at him in an amused fashion. He tried to get past her, but she was practically a giant compared to him. Leo was used to being shorter than most people, but he felt miniscule, as if he were four inches tall again.

Then there was the fire Leo was accused of starting. The flames engulfed Gaia, a wave of dizziness washing over him.

Flames twisted and turned around the building, supports snapping and masonry crumbling. Leo darted up the steps, pulling helplessly on the smouldering door and shouting for his _madre_.

Screams…

Pained screams…

Leo fell back, collapsing to the floor. The screams echoed around him, made his ears ring, wailing in his mind when he covered his ears. He curled up, resting his head on his knees. He was subconsciously aware that he was shaking and crying, but all he could hear was the roar of the fire, the snapping and crashing of the burning building and his mother's screams of agony.

* * *

Leo Number Two vanished seconds after Leo Number One, darting out of the door with a maniacal, triumphant laugh. Frank and Nico ran after him, Nico shouting curses worthy of his father.

Annabeth looked at Percy. He held her gaze for a few seconds and it seemed that they were thinking along similar lines. _Was there a second version of them somewhere in this mansion?_

Louisa got shakily to her feet, distracting Percy. Hazel and Piper were holding Louisa by her arms carefully, watching her worriedly.

"We… we need… ta help them…" Percy moved forward and held his sister up himself, Piper and Hazel backing away.

"You're staying here until you're feeling better." He said firmly. Her eyes flashed angrily and she tilted her head back in defiance, even though she was swaying unsteadily on her feet. It was clear Percy was doing the protective big brother thing, which Louisa was famous for hating.

"I'm gonna help get Leo back 'n' ya ain't gonna stop me." She stumbled and Percy grabbed her by the elbow.

"You're. Staying. Here." Percy repeated, indicating Louisa had no choice.

Annabeth moved forward and prised Louisa from Percy before she strangled him.

"Lou, come on. Sit down so I can check your wound." Louisa glowered at her brother, but staggered next to Annabeth and sat down by the fire.

Percy turned to the others.

"Jason, stay here with Lou and Annabeth. Hazel, Piper- you're with me. We're going to track the real Leo and hopefully smack Fake Leo in the face." The girls nodded.

Percy felt a hand on his arm. He turned and saw Annabeth watching him worriedly.

"Be careful, Seaweed Brain." She said quietly, standing on her toes and kissing him lightly.

"Will do." Percy assured. He led Piper and Hazel out, seeing Frank and Nico's footprints in the dust. They followed them, keeping an eye out for their friends.

* * *

Jason paced about nervously, swinging his sword and practising techniques. He had a nervous aura about him.

Piper had told Annabeth where and how they had found Jason. Annabeth had assured Piper that she would supervise Jason. He didn't like restrictions or enclosed spaces, immobilisation, which Annabeth didn't know.

"Ow!" Louisa protested, swatting Annabeth's hands away. "Dammit, woman, ya worse than Percy…"

"Stop fidgeting." Annabeth told her. Louisa pulled a face at her. Annabeth dabbed at the wound on Louisa's forehead with a cloth dampened with water. "Why won't this stupid thing _heal_?" Annabeth growled in frustration. Louisa muttered something incoherent.

They stayed quiet for ten odd minutes, Annabeth attempting ambrosia and nectar and carefully cleaning Louisa's hair of dried blood. The wound itself didn't heal, neither did the bruises around it, but it looked a lot cleaner without the crust of dried blood.

Louisa reached for her rucksack when she suddenly froze. She paled slightly and started shaking. "Lou?" Annabeth put a hand on her friend's shoulder. Louisa collapsed on her side, her head on her bag. "Lou?" Annabeth repeated urgently. She looked round and saw Jason wandering over.

"What's going on?" He asked, his voice the steadiest it had been since they recovered him from the basement.

"I don't know." Annabeth admitted. She rolled Louisa onto her back. Louisa moaned, her a thin sheen of sweat glistening on her face. She looked sickly, her eyes bloodshot and rolled back in her head. Annabeth checked her pulse, finding it fast, but light.

Then she noticed Louisa wasn't breathing properly, that her lips were tinged blue. "Oh gods… Lou!"

Jason scanned the room, but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

When Annabeth was sure Louisa was pass out from lack of oxygen, the daughter of Poseidon inhaled sharply and choked, spluttering with tears streaming down her cheeks. "Lou?"

"Percy…" Louisa gasped. "Where's Percy?"

"I-" The door burst open. Jason drew his _gladius_, but it was only Piper and Hazel, out of breath and covered in gashes. Jason hurried forward, sheathing his sword and grabbing the two girls by the elbows, helping them stumble over to Annabeth. "Where's Percy?" Annabeth demanded. Piper and Hazel paled slightly.

"We… we turned round… and he…" Piper stuttered.

"He was gone…" Hazel finished quietly.

"What'd you mean gone?!" Annabeth shot to her feet, reaching for her knife. Jason stood in front of the two injured girls, who sank to their knees in exhaustion.

* * *

Percy hated marshes and bogs. Like, really _hated _them.

He was just minding his own business, walking around with Piper and Hazel and searching for the real Leo, when _boom_! Something takes out his legs, he hits the floor and then… darkness. He was standing in an empty room, panelled walls, no noticeable windows or doors.

Then the floor seemed to soften and he was sinking. Slowly, like quicksand, but he was still sinking.

Panic surged through him and he fought as best he could to get out of the floor. He only sank further.

Before he knew it, the floor was above his head and he was back in the marshes. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't see, he couldn't hear…

His fear came back to haunt him and he tried to claw his way out, but it was no use.

His lungs screamed at him and, as a last resort, he prayed to his father. _Dad, please…_

Hands closed around his upper arms and he was pulled up. He inhaled lungfuls of gracious air, choking and spluttering like no tomorrow. Somebody behind him cursed, pulling him the rest of the way out of the floor.

"Dammit, Percy, lay off the blue cookies." His vision blurry, Percy glanced over his shoulder. Nico smiled grimly at him. "Sup?" Nico hauled him to his feet and helped Percy out of the room. "We tracked Fake Leo here," He told him, "Then he just vanished and I got a buzz, you know, like when someone's…" _Dying_. Nico didn't say the word, but it hovered in the air.

Nico closed the door behind him and sat Percy on the floor. Percy shivered and rubbed at his arms, trying to regain warmth. He was aware of Nico studying him carefully, as if he suspected something. "Are you OK?" He asked kindly, kneeling next to Percy. Percy looked at him, struggling to arrange words.

Nico gripped his shoulder reassuringly. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." He smiled. "But we better get you back to Annabeth before she kills anybody." Percy nodded in agreement, shakily getting to his feet with Nico's help.

* * *

Annabeth nearly killed Percy in a relieved hug when he stumbled through the door.

"What happened?" She asked, searching his face earnestly.

"Um… tell you later." Percy mumbled.

"No Leo?" Piper asked quietly. Nico shook his head. Piper looked upset.

"He's alive though." Nico reassured. Piper just nodded, eating the ambrosia Jason had given her.

"Where's Lou?" Percy asked, his arm around Annabeth's shoulders. They all looked around.

"Dammit!" Annabeth cursed. "I take my eyes off of her for two seconds and she disappears!"

"We'll go and look for her and Leo." Nico ran a hand over his face. "Why do we get stuck with the crazies?" He, Percy, Frank and Jason headed back out; Percy having been given a square of ambrosia by Annabeth. The other boys were under strict orders to make sure Percy came back, on pain of death from Annabeth.

* * *

**I'll leave it there. I came up with an idea earlier and I will try and get that typed up soon. **


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